Striker release mechanism for fuzes



Feb. 1, 1966 R. w. Buss 3,232,232

STRIKER RELEASE MECHANISM FOR FUZES Filed MarGh l., 1955 "FIEI. '.L

United States Patent C 3,232,232 STRIKER RELEASE MECHANISM FOR FUZES Robert Wayne Bliss, Fort Wayne, Ind., assigner to The Magnavox Company, Fort Wayne, Ind., a corporation Filed Mar. 4, 1955, Ser. No. 492,106 Ciaims. (Cl. 102-75) This invention relates to a striker release mechanism for fuzes, and is particularly adapted for use in missiles, such as grenades, mortar'shells, bombs, or air to ground missiles.

lIt is the object of the invention to provide a striker release mechanism for use in all types of fuzes where a bounce after impact is desired. It is adapted to initiate an action which is desired to occur after impact actuating forces have dissipated, for example, the detonation of a missile upon coming to rest, or detonation of a bounce charge contained ina missile to achieve an air burst.

By reason of the construction and configuration of the mechanism, the actuating forces, such as by impact, must be dissipated before the striker release occurs. This action compensates for the degree of actuating force and produces a variable delay release, depending upon the -actuating force. The energy released by the mechanism is predetermined and pre-set, thereby giving constant results over a range of conditions. The mechanism further incorporates a safety feature which may or may not =be employed, said safety feature requirng very low torque for operation. Furthermore, the components of the mechanism are of simple structure and relatively inexpensive to produce and assemble.

The invention therefore contemplates the employment of a ball retained spring loaded tiring pin within a barrel locked by a locking ring slideably mounted in a spring loaded sleeve. Upon impact or other initiation of the action, the sleeve is causedto move relative to the locking ring and barrel to compress a rebound spring and cock the mechanism so that upon rebound it causes said ring to release the -ball which thereupon releases the striker pin, in the manner hereafter more fully set forth and described.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

FIG. 1 is a central vertical section through the striker release mechanism with the component parts locked in position.

FIG. 2 is a view taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. l. V

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the locking ring.

FIG. 4 is a section through the release mechanism showing it in cocking position after impact and before rebound,

`FIG. 5 is a section through the release mechanism showing it -in detonating position with the striker pin released after rebound. In the drawings there is illustrated a retaining sleeve 1t) having a shoulder 11 adjacent its lower end adapted to lbear against a rebound spring 12. Within said sleeve there is a cylindrical barrel 13 closed at its lower end to receive an energy storing compressing spring 14. Slidably mounted within the barrel there is a striker pin 15 having a reduced diameter stem 16 extending downwardly internally of the spring 14. Said stem is capped with a plunger 17 against which the upper end of the energy storing spring 14 abuts, the lower end of said spring abutting the closed end of the barrel 13.

The upper end of the barrel 13 has a reduced periphery provided with a shoulder 18 upon and about which a ICC locking ring 19 is seated. Immediately below said shoulder and embraced by the locking ring there is a radial opening or cavity indicated at 2d in which a locking ball 21 is held by said ring. Said ball is held in the cavity to bear against the striker pin 15 and the tapered shoulder defining the plunger I17. Thus, through the medium of the locking ring and locking ball, and through the medium of the plunger 17, the striker pin is held under com-pression against the tension of ythe energy storing spring 14.

For normally retaining the ring 19 in locking position, and as shown in FIG. 3, said ring, which is cylindrical in shape, is formed with an annular radial groove 22 and a longitudinal or axially extending groove 23. The retaining sleeve 10 is formed about its per-ipherywith an annular radial groove 24 normally lying in the plane of the groove 22. Mounted within the groove 24 there is a snap ring 25 vhaving an inwardly extending release pin 26 normally riding in the peripheral groove .22 under its inherent spring tension, but manually movable into the axial groove 23 upon relative rotation between the locking ring and sleeve. When said release pin Vis angularly displaced from the axial groove 23 in the locking ring, the tiring mechanism is on safety and will not release upon impact. Upon relative rotation between the sleeve 10 and locking ring 19 to bring said release pin into registry with the axial groove 23, the mechanism will thereupon be cocked for ring after impact,

Upon the mechanism being thus cocked, impact will cause axial displacement of the sleeve 10 against the tension of the rebound spring 12, the pin `26 of the snap ring sliding down the axial groove 23 to a position for snapping under the lower edge of the locking ring as shown in FIG. 4. Upon rebound of the sleeve caused by the spring 12, said pin of the snap ring will move upwardly therewith, raising the locking ring therewith and exposing the ball 21 to the opening 20 as shown in FIG. 5. The ball will then be pushed to one side by the sloping shoulder of the plunger 17 to permit the tiring pin to be forced through the barrel 13 under tension of the spring 14.

For theV purpose of safety the mechanism is locked against accidental release when the sleeve 10 and barrel with its sliding locking ring are angularly displaced relative to each other so that the release pin 26 is out of alignment with the axial groove 23, riding in the groove 22, as shown in FIG.. 3. To cock the mechanism for tiring, the barrel and ring are rotated relative to the sleeve for bringing the releasing pin 26 into alignment with the axial groove 23, the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3. Only in such position may the striker be released. Thus, unless and until this predetermined angular position is effected, the missile is safe for handling.

Locking ring 19 and barrel 13 are longitudinally keyed, as indicated at 19a (FIG. 2) to prevent relative rotation therebetween while permitting axial displacement of said ring relative to said barrel. Thus, said ring and barrel are allowed independent vertical motion, but only simultaneous rotational movement. The ring is thus keyed to the barrel so that both rotate when the barrel is rotated, as by a clock or the like to cock the mechanism, but independent axial movement is permitted by way of the key 19a to release the locking ball and ring pin.

In operation, therefore, upon a missile or projectile striking any object, the impact on the sleeve 1i) will compress the spring 12, positioning the snap ring under the locking ring in the position of FIG. 4 to raise said ring and thereby release the ball which in turn releases the tiring pin as shown in FG. 5. Thus, the projectile or missile will be detonated after the actuating or impact forces have been dissipated on the target and in compressing the rebound spring so that the detonation will be thereby delayed until the missile has come to rest or effected an air burst resulting from the bounce, since there is no release of the striker until after the rebound ofthe sleeve following impact.

The invention claimed is:

1. A striker release mechanism for detonating a missile, comprising a retaining sleeve, a rebound spring bearing against one end thereof, a barrel carried in said sleeve having one end open and the other end closed, said barrel having a radial opening therein, an energy storing spring axially disposed in said barrel to seat against the closed end thereof, a striker pin having a tapered plunger bearing against the opposite end of said spring with a stem extension embraced therein, a locking ring embracing the opening in said barrel, a locking ball interposed between said ring and the plunger of said pin retained within said opening by said ring for holding said pin against the tension of its energy storing spring, said ring being provided with merging annular and axial grooves in its peripheral surface, said sleeve having a peripheral groove normally in the plane of the annular groove of said ring, and a snap spring carried in said last-mentioned groove having an inwardly extending release pin normally bearing against said ring within its peripheral groove under its inherent spring tension while permitting rotation of said ring relative to said sleeve and release pin to bring said pin into alignment with said axial groove, whereby upon impact said barrel and sleeve will be forcibly moved relative to each other against the tension of said rebound spring to slide said release pin to a position for snapping Linder said locking ring and force said ring free of said ball upon rebound of said spring for releasing said firing pin.

2. A striker release mechanism for detonating a missile comprising a retaining sieeve, a rebound spring bearing against one end thereof, a barrel carried in said sleeve having one end open and the other end closed, said barrel having a radial opening therein, an energy storing spring axially disposed in said barrel to seat against the closed end thereof, a striker pin bearing against the opposite end of said spring, a locking ring embracing the opening in said barrel, a locking member interposed between said ring and pin retained within said opening by said ring for holding said pin against the tension of its energy storing spring, and a snap spring carried by said sleeve having an inwardly extending release pin normally bearing against said ring under its inherent spring tension, whereby upon impact said barrel and sleeve will be forcibly moved relative to each other against the tension of said rebound spring to slide said release pin to a position for snapping under said locking ring and force said ring free of said locking member upon rebound of said spring for releasing said tiring pin.

3. A striker release mechanism for detonating a missile comprising a spring loaded sleeve having a barrel carried therein, a spring loaded striker releasably locked in said barrel, said barrel having a radial opening therein, a

locking ring within said sleeve embracing the opening in said barrel and having merging peripheral and axial grooves thereon, a locking member seated in said opening and retained therein by said ring in locking engagement with said striker, and a spring loaded release pin carried by said sleeve extending into the peripheral groove in said ring to permit relative rotation between said ring and sleeve to prevent axial displacement therebetween for safety locking of said striker, said releasing pin registering with said axial groove upon relative rotation of said sleeve and ring, said sleeve and releasing pin being thereupon movable axially of said ring upon impact to a position for interlocking said releasing pin with one end of said ring to move it free of said opening and release said locking member permitting said striker to be unloaded to detonation position.

4. A striker release mechanism for detonating a missile, comprising a spring loaded sleeve, a barrel carried in said sleeve having a radial opening therein, a spring loaded striker pin axially movable in said barrel, a locking ring embracing the opening in said barrel, a locking member interposed between said ring and said striker pin retained in said opening by said ring for holding said pin against its spring loading, and a spring loaded release pin carried by said sleeve in sliding engagement with said ring, said sleeve and release pin being axially movable upon impact relative to said ring to a position for interlocking said release pin and ring to move said ring free of said locking member upon rebound permitting said member to release said striker.

5. A striker release mechanism for detonating a missile, comprising a spring loaded sleeve, a barrel carried by said sleeve having a radial opening therein, a spring loaded striker within said barrel, a locking ring normally embracing the opening in said barrel, a locking member in said opening retained by said ring in locking engagement with said striker to hold it in loaded position, means for keying said ring to said barrel for effecting simultaneous rotational movement thereof while permitting independent axial relative movement therebetween, and a releasing pin carried by said sleeve engageable with said ring to normally permit relative rotation and prevent axial displacement therebetween, said sleeve and ring being relatively rotatable to a predetermined position for permitting axial displacement therebetween upon impact to elfect interlocking herebetween and release of said locking member upon rebound.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,313,930 8/1919 Tayior 102-75 1,545,139 7/1925 Greenwell 102--75 1,681,390 8/1928 Bold 102-84 2,331,198 10/1943 Kiang 102-70 2,378,626 6/1945 Fanger 102-70 2,625,881 l/1953 Rabinow 102-78 2,701,527 2/ 1955 Granath 102-75 SAMUEL FElNBERG, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL BYD, Examiner. 

1. A STRIKER RELEASE MECHANISM FOR DETONATING A MISSILE, COMPRISING A RETAINING SLEEVE, A REBOUND SPRING BEARING AGAINST ONE END THEREOF, A BARREL CARRIED IN SAID SLEEVE HAVING ONE END OPEN AND THE OTHER END CLOSED, SAID BARREL HAVING A RADIAL OPENING THEREIN, AN ENERGY STORING SPRING AXIALLY DISPOSED IN SAID BARREL TO SEAT AGAINST THE CLOSED END THEREOF, A STRIKER PIN HAVING A TAPERED PLUNGER BEARING AGAINST THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID SPRING WITH A STEM EXTENSION EMBRACED THEREIN, A LOCKING RING EMBRACING THE OPENING IN SAID BARREL, A LOCKING BALL INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID RING AND THE PLUNGER OF SAID PIN RETAINED WITHIN SAID OPENING BY SAID RING FOR HOLDING SAID PIN AGAINST THE TENSION OF ITS ENERGY STORING SPRING, SAID RING BEING PROVIDED WITH MERGING ANNULAR AND AXIAL GROOVES IN ITS PERIPHERAL SURFACE, SAID SLEEVE HAVING A PERIPHERAL GROOVE NORMALLY IN THE PLANE OF THE ANNULAR GROOVE OF SAID RING, AND A SNAP SPRING CARRIED IN SAID LAST-MENTIONED GROOVE HAVING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING RELEASE PIN NORMALLY BEARING AGAINST SAID RING WITHIN ITS PERIPHERAL GROOVE UNDER ITS INHERENT SPRING TENSION WHILE PERMITTING ROTATION OF SAID RING RELATIVE TO SAID SLEEVE AND RELEASE PIN TO BRING SAID PIN INTO ALIGNMENT WITH SAID AXIAL GROOVE, WHEREBY UPON IMPACT SAID BARREL AND SLEEVE WILL BE FORCIBLY MOVED RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AGAINST THE TENSION OF SAID REBOUND SPRING TO SLIDE SAID RELEASE PIN TO A POSITION FOR SNAPPING UNDER SAID LOCKING RING AND FORCE SAID RING FREE OF SAID BALL UPON REBOUND OF SAID SPRING FOR RELEASING SAID FIRING PIN. 